Websites which have not yet switched to responsive design will benefit from doing so. Those which have already made the transition should continue to work toward faster speeds and a streamlined UX.

Rapid Expansion of Voice Search

Smart speakers such as the Amazon Echo and Google Home are fixtures in an increasing number of homes.

Sales for the devices tripled in 2017, including 11 million units sold during the recent holiday quarter. Along with the digital assistants built into mobile devices, voice commands are turning into top search method.

So how can SEO and digital marketing departments gain the fancy of Alexa, Siri, and Cortana?

It starts with understanding how people talk to these devices. Often they speak in a more conversational tone, asking full questions rather than concise keywords. Adapting to this will help marketers make inroads in voice search.

Priority for Secure Browsing

As more transactions take place over the web, online security will grow in importance.

Google started using HTTPS as a ranking signal in 2014, but they’ve recently made it even more of a point of emphasis. To make it to the front page, having an SSL certificate is now crucial.

On top of lower SERP rankings, unsecured sites are also hurt by a new visual warning next to the URL on Google Chrome.

Making sure your site is secure in 2018 will benefit both your customers and your SEO.

One of the key ways RankBrain helps search results is with ambiguous searches. When people search a phrase that has multiple meanings, machine learning helps the algorithm make better guesses into intention.

For example, “diabetes test” could turn up a variety of different results. But if searchers tend to click links for a Save Rite Medical Prodigy No Coding Test Strip, RankBrain will realize that most people typing “diabetes test” are intending to search for “home glucose testing kit.” With that understanding of intention, the results page becomes better tailored.

It’s no longer enough to only focus on keywords. You must also consider the intentions of searchers and how to provide them the desired result.

SEO and Digital Marketing Help in 2018

The new year brings new challenges to optimizing your website for search results.